Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Review: "The Girl With All the Gifts" is a Gift to Movie Audiences

 

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 22 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux
 
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)
Running time:  111 minutes (1 hour, 51 minutes)
MPAA – R for disturbing violence/bloody images, and for language
DIRECTOR:  Colm McCarthy
WRITER:  Mike Carey (based on his novel)
PRODUCER:  Camille Gatin and Angus Lamont
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Simon Dennis   
EDITOR:  Matthew Cannings
COMPOSER:  Cristobal Tapia de Veer

SCI-FI/HORROR/DRAMA

Starring:  Sennia Nanua, Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Fisayo Akinade, Anthony Welsh, Anamaria Marinca, Dominique Tipper, and Glenn Close

The Girl with All the Gifts is a 2016 British post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film from director Colm McCarthy.  Screenwriter Mike Carey adapted this film's screenplay from his 2014 novel, The Girl with All the Gifts.  The Girl with All the Gifts the movie is set in a dystopian future and follows the struggles of a scientist, a teacher, and two soldiers, and a special young girl who embark on a journey of survival.

The Girl with All the Gifts is set in the United Kingdom in a near future scenario.  Humanity has been ravaged by a mysterious disease that is caused by a parasitic fungus.  It is transmitted by bodily fluids, such as when an infected person bites an uninfected person.  The infected humans have turned into fast-moving, mindless zombies called “Hungries.”  Mankind's only hope is a small group of hybrid children, born with the fungus wrapped around their brains, making them part-human and part-Hungry.  These children crave living, human flesh, but they retain the ability to think and to learn.

On an army base, the scientist, Dr. Caroline Caldwell (Glenn Close), has been using a group of hybrid children in an attempt to develop a vaccine that would protect humans from becoming infected Hungries.  One of the children is a very special and exceptional girl named Melanie (Sennia Nanua), who has drawn the particular attention of Helen Justineau (Gemma Arterton), a young woman who is responsible for educating and for studying the children.

The hybrid children on the army base are essentially as held prisoners, guarded by a group of soldiers lead by Sergeant Eddie Parks (Paddy Considine).  When the base falls, Melanie, Justineau, Dr. Caldwell, Parks, and another soldier, Private Kieran Gallagher (Fisayo Akinade), head for London in the hope of finding help, but are they all in denial about the new order of things in a world of Hungries?

I have no trouble recommending The Girl with All the Gifts, a fantastic and truly unique film.  It is equally post-apocalyptic science fiction, zombie apocalypse horror, and road movie drama.  I could have watched another two hours of this stunning movie.  The Girl with All the Gifts is like a new take on the three films based on late author Richard Matheson's 1954 seminal post-apocalyptic novel, I Am Legend.  Those films are The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971), and I Am Legend (2007), to one extent or another.

What makes this film exceptional is both the performance by and the appearance of Sennia Nanua as the film's lead character, Melanie.  She gives a honest and vibrant performance as Melanie, a child referred to as “it,” but who grows from a child seeking attention and being... hungry to a child learning to a becoming the group's guide and protector and finally to evolving into a kind of “Eve.”  Also, it is simply great to see a young actress of color as the lead in a science fiction film, especially in a movie that is led primarily by female characters.

The performances in the film are mostly poignant and quiet.  Do I have to tell you that Glenn Close gives a muscular turn as Dr. Caldwell?  Should I have to tell you that?  Well, I will tell you again that The Girl With All the Gifts is one of this decade's best genre films and that I highly recommend and might even demand that you see it.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, October 16, 2020


NOTES:
BAFTA Awards 2017:  1 nomination: “Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer” (Mike Carey and Camille Gatin)

The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.


--------------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).

 

A Negromancer December 2020


 

It's December 2020! Welcome to Negromancer 2.0.  This is the rebirth of Negromancer, the former movie review website as a new movie review and movie news site.

Support me on Patreon.

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.



Monday, November 30, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 22nd to 30th, 2020 - Update #31

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 11/27 to 11/29/2020 weekend box office was DreamWorks Animation's "The Croods: A New Age" with an estimated take of 9.7 million dollars.

POLITICS - From GuardianUK:   Why Biden shouldn't extend an olive branch to Republicans

CULTURE - From YahooLife:  If it isn't the most unusual location for a McDonald's restaurant in America, it is one of the most.  See the Ace Hardward-McDonald's in Washington D.C.

MOVIES - From Time:   "Time Magazine" names the "Ten Best" acting performances in film for 2020.

SPORTS/CULTURE - From NPR:   Sarah Fuller of the Vanderbilt Commodores football team becomes the first woman in history to play in a "Power 5" conference football game.  Vanderbilt is a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as is their opponent in the game played on Sat. Nov. 28th, 2020, the University of Missouri Tigers.

SPORTS/MUSIC - From ESPN:   Grammy-winning, Canadian recording artist, "The Weeknd," will be the headlining act at the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show.

From CoS:  "The Weeknd" did not receive one 2021 Grammy nomination when they were recently announced, although he seemed to be a lock to receive several due to the smash success of his 2020 album, "After Hours."  Sources close to him believe that this lack of nominations is due to him performing at the Super Bowl LV halftime show.

STREAMING - From IndependentUK:   Acclaimed director David Lynch is apparently working on a series entitled "Wisteria" for Netflix.

OSCARS - From Variety:   Netflix could break an 85-year-old Oscar record.  That would be for the studio with the most "Best Picture" nominations in a year - held by MGM with five in 1937.

From Variety:  If you don't like the Academy Awards diversity standards, comedian and actor, Andy Samberg, says that you can f**k off.

CULTURE - From Yahoo/NYT:  A new generation of rich kids wants to tear down capitalism.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Actor Idris Elba will interview rock music legend and former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney for a BBC One special, "Idris Elba Meets Paul McCartney."

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:  Disney is apparently considering or developing a spinoff of 20th Century Fox's "Alien" franchise that involves a younger version of the beloved character "Ellen Ripley," made famous by Oscar-nominated actress, Sigourney Weaver.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Netflix has removed Comedy Central's "Chappelle's Show" from its streaming service at the request of the series' star, Dave Chappelle.  Chappelle claims that ViacomCBS

POLITICS - From YahooNYT:  The things Donald Trump really liked about being President of the USA.

MOVIES - From Collider:  Writer-director Chris Columbus provides an update on "Gremlins 3," which would be the second sequel to "Gremlins," the beloved 1984 he wrote.

GRAMMYS - From THR:   Trevor Noah, the host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," will host the 2021 Grammy Awards.

From ETOnline:  South Korea's musical act, BTS, has become the first K-Pop (Korean pop) act to receive a Grammy Awards nomination in a major category - "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" for their English-language single, "Dynamite."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Sports journalists, Jemele Hill, formerly of ESPN, and Kelley Carter, are  joining Gabriele Union and Sony Pictures TV to develop the half-hour comedy, "New Money," for Showtime.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:   Cherokee American actor Wes Studi revisits the Oscar-winning film, "Dances With Wolves" (including winning "Best Picture"), in which he appeared and also talks about the changing depictions of Native Americans in film and television

TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:   "Saturday Night Live" writer reveals how Eddie Murphy saved the late-night show 40 years ago.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 11/20 - 11/22/2020 weekend box office is "Freaky" with an estimated take of 1.2 million dollars.

CELEBRITY - From THR:   Tyler Perry's giveaway of food and gift cards at Tyler Perry Studios on Sunday, Nov. 22nd attracted thousands.  People started lining up in their cars on Saturday...

MOVIES - THR: Tyler Perry, Melanie Lynskey and Ron Perlman are the latest stars to join the all-star cast of Adam McKay’s satire, "Don’t Look Up."

MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  Grammy-winning recording artist and actor, Nelly, will portray seminal rock 'n' roll musician, Chuck Berry, in "Clear Lake," an upcoming biographical film about the late Buddy Holly.

CELEBRITY - From ShadowandAct:   Taylor Simone Ledward, the widow of actor Chadwick Boseman ("Black Panther"), is the administrator of the late actor's estate.

POLITICS - From Truthout:  President Joe Biden should cancel student debt on "Day One" of his administration.

MOVIES - From THR:   Channing Tatum has reunited with his "21 Jump Street" collaborator, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, for a "tongue-in-cheek" thriller based on the "Universal Monsters" franchise.

OBITS:

From YahooHuffPost:   The British actor and weightlifter and bodybuilder, David Prowse, has died at the age of 85, Saturday, November 28, 2020.  Prowse was best known for playing "Darth Vader" in the original "Star Wars" trilogy, beginning with "Star Wars" in 1977.  Prowse wore Vader's costume, but actor James Earl Jones provided Vader's voice.

From ESPN:   Argentine professional football (soccer) player, Diego Maradona, has died at the age of 60, Wednesday, November 25, 2020.  Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Maradona captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup championship.

From YahooEntertainment:   The brother of actors, Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray, Ed Murray, has died at the age of 76, Monday, November 23, 2020.  Ed was one of the inspirations for the iconic sports movie, "Caddyshack" (1980), which Brian co-wrote and in which Bill starred.

COVID-19:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remember when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlanticThe Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/19 - From WashPost:  U.S. coronavirus death toll reaches 200,000

9/23 - From CNBC:  Mark Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," suggests that every household in American get a $1000 check every two weeks for the next two months.

11/7 - From YahooNews:  "It's a slaughter," doctors say of new coronavirus wave.

11/13 - YahooNews:  "We blew it": U.S. reaches 'explosive' COVID-19 spread as virus is nearly impossible to control, experts say.

11/29 From LATimes:  California sets record with most COVID-19 hospitalizations since pandemic began

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."

From ChicagoSunTimes:  Rev. Jesse Jackson: America has millions of people in poverty because Americans choose not to demand the policies that would lift them out of poverty.

From APNews:  No one will be held accountable for the killing of Louisville African-American resident, Breonna Taylor.

From Channel4:  Revealed: Trump campaign strategy to deter millions of Black Americans from voting in 2016

From GuardianUK:  California is going to consider paying reparations to the descendants of African slaves after adopting a landmark law to study and to develop proposals around the issue.

From TheRoot:   What to Do When Your Country Turns Into a Dumpster Fire

From Vox:  It's True: 1 in 1,000 Black Americans Have Died in the Covid-19 Pandemic

From CBS:  Breonna Taylor's boyfriend certain cops didn't identify themselves

From DonaldTrump:  Well, because it has been in the news a lot lately (via Ice Cube and Li'l Wayne), here is "The Platinum Plan."  It is impressive, but no Republican Congress would go along with even 10 percent of this plan which is basically a long list of promises to the Black Americans - individually and as a group.

From Truthout:   Yes, 55 Percent of White Women Voted for Trump. No, I’m Not Surprised.



BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2020


 

BOOM! STUDIOS

OCT200964    BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20 CVR A MAIN    $3.99
OCT200965    BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20 CVR B SAUVAGE VAR    $3.99
OCT200966    BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20 CVR C CAREY VAR    $3.99
OCT208000    DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #1 (OF 12) 3RD PTG    $4.99
AUG201024    JIM HENSON LABYRINTH CORONATION TP VOL 03    $16.99
OCT200902    LUMBERJANES END OF SUMMER #1 CVR A LEYH    $6.99
OCT200903    LUMBERJANES END OF SUMMER #1 CVR B MOULTON    $6.99
OCT200904    LUMBERJANES END OF SUMMER #1 CVR C WALDEN    $6.99
OCT208001    MIGHTY MORPHIN #1 2ND PTG    $4.99
OCT208002    MIGHTY MORPHIN #1 CVR L 2ND PTG  CONNECTING VAR    $4.99


Dark Horse Comics Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2020

DARK HORSE COMICS

AUG200430    ALIEN ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY HC (MR)    $19.99
SEP200330    ASSASSINS CREED VALHALLA FORTRESS ASSAULT PUZZLE    $19.99
SEP200329    ASSASSINS CREED VALHALLA RAID PLANNING PUZZLE    $19.99
SEP200324    BILL & TED ARE DOOMED MAGNET PACK    $9.99
SEP200323    BILL & TED ARE DOOMED PIN    $9.99
SEP200320    BILL & TED FACE MUSIC WYLD STALLYNS KEYCHAIN    $9.99
SEP200321    BILL & TED FACE MUSIC WYLD STALLYNS PATCH    $7.99
SEP200322    BILL & TED FACE MUSIC WYLD STALLYNS PIN    $9.99
AUG200432    BUTCHER OF PARIS TP (RES)    $19.99
SEP208683    CRITICAL ROLE CHRONICLES OF EXANDRIA MIGHT NEIN DLX ED HC    $124.99
SEP200328    CYBERPUNK 2077 METRO LIFE PUZZLE    $19.99
AUG200458    DRAGON AGE CAST OF THOUSANDS 1000 PC DLX PUZZLE    $19.99
OCT200259    HELLBOY & BPRD HER FATAL HOUR CVR A TREVALLION (RES)    $3.99
OCT200260    HELLBOY & BPRD HER FATAL HOUR CVR B MIGNOLA (RES)    $3.99
JUN200342    MOB PSYCHO 100 REIGEN TP    $11.99
JUL200295    OCTOPATH TRAVELER COMPLETE GUIDE HC    $39.99
OCT200292    ORVILLE #4 HEROES (PT 2 OF 2)    $3.99
OCT200240    OVERWATCH TRACER LONDON CALLING #1 CVR A BENGAL    $3.99
OCT200241    OVERWATCH TRACER LONDON CALLING #1 CVR B TARR    $3.99
AUG200433    SPELL ON WHEELS TP VOL 02 JUST TO GET TO YOU (RES)    $19.99
OCT200282    SPY ISLAND #4 (OF 4) CVR A MITERNIQUE    $3.99
OCT200283    SPY ISLAND #4 (OF 4) CVR B MITERNIQUE    $3.99
OCT200249    STRANGER THINGS D&D CROSSOVER #2 CVR A GIST    $3.99
OCT200250    STRANGER THINGS D&D CROSSOVER #2 CVR B DITTMANN    $3.99
OCT200251    STRANGER THINGS D&D CROSSOVER #2 CVR C BECK    $3.99
OCT200252    STRANGER THINGS D&D CROSSOVER #2 CVR D DUNBAR    $3.99


Dynamite Entertainment Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2020

DYNAMITE

AUG200828    BETTIE PAGE #4 CVR A YOON    $3.99
AUG200829    BETTIE PAGE #4 CVR B KANO    $3.99
AUG200830    BETTIE PAGE #4 CVR C LINSNER    $3.99
AUG200831    BETTIE PAGE #4 CVR D BECERRIL COSPLAY    $3.99
AUG200832    BETTIE PAGE #4 CVR E PHOTO    $3.99
SEP200806    BOYS DEAR BECKY #7 (MR)    $3.99
SEP209417    BOYS DEAR BECKY #7 ROBERTSON PREMIUM FOC BONUS VAR (MR)    $3.99
SEP209418    BOYS DEAR BECKY #7 ROBERTSON VIRGIN PREMIUM FOC BONUS VAR (M    $3.99
SEP209419    RED SONJA #22 CASTRO FOC BONUS VAR    $3.99
OCT200874    RED SONJA #22 CVR A LEE    $3.99
OCT200875    RED SONJA #22 CVR B LINSNER    $3.99
OCT200876    RED SONJA #22 CVR C STOTT    $3.99
OCT200877    RED SONJA #22 CVR D POLSON COSPLAY    $3.99
AUG200809    SACRED SIX #5 CVR A PARRILLO    $3.99
AUG200810    SACRED SIX #5 CVR B LEE    $3.99
AUG200811    SACRED SIX #5 CVR C CHATZOUDIS    $3.99
AUG200812    SACRED SIX #5 CVR D HETRICK    $3.99
AUG200813    SACRED SIX #5 CVR E CHEW    $3.99
SEP209465    VAMPIRELLA #15 MOMOKO SNEAK PEEK VIRGIN PREMIUM FOC VAR    $3.99


IDW Publishing Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 2, 2020

IDW PUBLISHING

JUN200629    GROSS EXAGGERATIONS MESHUGA COMICS MILET GROSS HC    $85.00
JUN208290    MY LITTLE PONY TRANSFORMERS #1 (OF 4) 2ND PTG    $3.99
SEP200492    SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #35 CVR A HAMMERSTROM    $3.99
SEP200493    SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #35 CVR B ROTHLISBERGER    $3.99
OCT200458    TMNT JENNIKA II #2 (OF 6) CVR A REVEL    $4.99